Feasibility study
The question: should we pursue this project?
Tests demand, resources, financial viability and the conditions for proceeding.
Feasibility · Financial modelling · Project appraisal
Feasibility Study Consultants in Dubai & UAE
Test the idea. Understand the investment. Decide with evidence.
SAIF Chartered Accountants helps entrepreneurs, investors and established businesses evaluate a proposed venture or expansion. We connect market assumptions, setup costs and financial projections so you can understand viability, funding needs and the risks before committing capital.
New venturesEvaluate a business idea or market entry.
Expansion decisionsCompare locations, capacity and funding.
Project appraisalsTest the assumptions behind an investment.
Start with the right decision
Is the business idea viable—or does it need to change?
A feasibility study is an assessment, not a sales pitch for the project. It should explain what must be true for the business to work, how reliable that evidence is and what happens if reality falls short.
Use it before a lease commitment, major equipment order, new branch, product launch or funding request. For an existing company, compare the additional benefit of expansion with the additional cost and cash required.
Business plan
The question: how will we make it happen?
Sets out the operating, marketing, staffing and funding plan. Business-plan preparation can be included in the agreed assignment.
Financial due diligence
The question: what are we buying or investing in?
Examines an existing target’s financial position and transaction risks. See our financial due diligence service.
Agree the depth, not a generic template
What should a feasibility study cover?
A focused financial feasibility review and a full market-and-financial assessment involve different work. We define the questions, evidence sources, specialists and exclusions before starting.
Market demand & competitive position
Who will buy, at what price, and why choose this business? Examine the customer group, catchment area, substitutes, sales channels and evidence behind the proposed demand.
Separate published research and management estimates from customer interviews or fieldwork. Primary research, paid data and specialist surveys must be agreed in the scope.
Setup costs & capital expenditure
Build a schedule for equipment, fit-out, deposits, initial inventory, technology, professional fees and pre-opening costs. Identify the timing of payments, not just the total investment.
Use dated quotations where available. Record exclusions, replacement expenditure and contingencies so the budget does not depend on an unexplained headline figure.
Operating model & resource needs
Test staffing, supplier arrangements, capacity, premises, utilities, distribution and launch milestones. Connect operational choices to the financial model.
A factory, clinic or development may require qualified technical specialists. Financial modelling does not replace engineering, safety, environmental or sector-licensing advice.
Revenue, margins & operating expenses
Build sales from drivers such as customers, units, average spend, occupancy or billable capacity. Model payroll, rent, marketing and other fixed and variable costs.
Allow for the time needed to win customers and reach operating capacity. Avoid assuming full utilisation from opening day or treating every sales enquiry as confirmed revenue.
Cash flow, funding & investment appraisal
Connect projected profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow. Examine working capital, funding drawdowns, debt service and the cash needed before the business supports itself.
Use suitable break-even, payback, NPV or IRR analysis where relevant. State the forecast horizon, discount-rate basis and financing assumptions; outputs are conditional estimates, not promised returns.
Risk, sensitivity & implementation conditions
Identify the assumptions that could change the decision: pricing, sales ramp-up, input costs, payment terms, project delays or capacity constraints.
Show what needs to be verified, who is responsible and which conditions should be resolved before capital is committed. A useful study can recommend changing or postponing the project.
Follow the cash, not just the profit
A financial model that explains the funding requirement
Sales, profit and cash receipts are different things. A project can show an accounting profit while needing more money for inventory, customer credit, deposits or loan repayments.
Build the model around documented inputs and timing. Keep the assumptions separate from the calculations, reconcile the statements, and show how changes affect cash balances. Agree the forecast period and the level of monthly detail appropriate to your project.
Need reliable historical accounts first? →
Break-even analysis
What level of sales covers the defined cost base? Distinguish operating break-even from the point at which the initial investment is recovered.
Peak cash requirement
When is the projected cash shortfall greatest? Match equity and borrowing availability to that timing, with a separately assessed buffer.
Return measures
Use payback, net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) where appropriate. Read them alongside the cash-flow pattern and model limitations.
A decision path, not a promised result
What if sales are slower or costs are higher?
Sensitivity analysis changes a specific assumption. Scenario analysis combines related changes into a coherent alternative. Both help reveal where the project is vulnerable.
- 01 · Evidence
Check the inputs
Record demand evidence, quotations and unresolved assumptions.
- 02 · Model
Build the base case
Connect operations, funding and projected financial statements.
- 03 · Challenge
Stress the drivers
Test slower demand, margin pressure, delays and collections.
- 04 · Decision
Set the conditions
Identify what must be resolved before you commit.
ProceedEvidence and funding support the agreed case.
ReviseChange scale, price, cost, location or phasing.
PauseResolve material evidence or funding gaps.
Slower customer growth
What if the sales ramp-up takes longer? Look at staffing commitments, marketing spend and how long the available cash lasts.
Higher setup or input costs
What if equipment, fit-out or supplier costs rise? Revisit the funding requirement, margin and practicality of passing costs to customers.
Delayed receipts or opening
What if customers pay later or the launch moves back? Test deposits, pre-opening payroll and obligations that continue before income starts.
These are modelling questions, not client case studies. Scenario values must be selected for the business and supported by evidence; they are not fixed forecasts or probabilities.
Location is one input—not the whole business case
UAE mainland, free-zone and sector considerations
Activity, premises & approvals
Identify the proposed activity, emirate, premises and authority before finalising setup assumptions. Confirm current requirements directly with the relevant body, including any sector-specific approvals and the report format it requests.
Dubai DET provides an official mainland business-licensing overview. A financial feasibility report is not a licence, engineering certification or regulatory approval.
Tax, operations & funding
Allow for relevant Corporate tax and VAT assumptions, operating costs and financing terms. For a free-zone proposal, do not assume the registered address alone establishes a QFZP tax position.
Compare locations on the full operating case: customers, logistics, premises, workforce, capacity and compliance needs—not the headline licence cost alone.
Related location guidance: JAFZA · KEZAD / KIZAD · Hamriyah · UAE free-zone audit and reporting. These pages explain related audit matters, not feasibility-report approval.
Different business models need different tests
Examples of the assumptions to discuss when scoping a study—not a claim that every specialist service is included.
Retail, restaurants & hospitality
Footfall, average spend, seat or room utilisation, seasonality, delivery commissions, wastage and occupancy costs.
Manufacturing, logistics & trading
Production yield, capacity, equipment lead times, stock holding, freight, customs assumptions and customer credit periods.
Healthcare & education
Patient or enrolment ramp-up, professional staffing, equipment, payer collection cycles and activity-specific approvals.
Technology & professional services
Customer acquisition, recurring revenue, churn, development spending, staff utilisation and the timing of cash receipts.
Property & project development
Phasing, construction inputs, leasing or sales assumptions and cash commitments. Title, valuation and technical assessments require appropriate specialists.
Existing businesses & new locations
Incremental revenue and costs, shared overheads, cannibalisation of existing sales, expansion capacity and additional working capital.
Prepare a useful starting brief
What information do we need from you?
You do not need a completed plan before contacting us. Send the information already available and identify the estimates or gaps. Share confidential records only through an agreed secure channel.
- Project and purpose: activity, customers, location, owners and the decision or recipient the study must support.
- Commercial assumptions: products, prices, sales channels, expected volumes and any evidence of customer demand.
- Cost inputs: premises terms, equipment and fit-out quotes, staffing, supplier costs and launch budget.
- Existing records: recent accounts, management reports, sales history and cash-flow information for an operating business.
- Funding and timing: available capital, proposed borrowing, investment milestones and launch date.
- Recipient requirements: any bank, investor or authority checklist, template, forecast period and submission date.
From brief to a usable report
Our feasibility-study process
Scope the decision
Agree the purpose, intended users, locations, research depth, model outputs and limitations. Confirm responsibilities for technical and regulatory inputs.
Review evidence & assumptions
Assess the available records, quotations and market inputs. Keep a log of assumptions, sources, dates and open questions.
Model & challenge
Prepare the agreed projections and test key uncertainties. Discuss inconsistencies with management rather than hiding them in the model.
Report & agree next steps
Explain findings, conditions and remaining gaps. Agree any revisions or further work, and the use and circulation of the final report.
What you receive
- A clear project and decision summary.
- The agreed financial forecasts and supporting schedules.
- Documented assumptions, evidence and limitations.
- Funding, break-even and scenario findings.
- Risks and conditions to address before implementation.
Confirm whether an editable spreadsheet model, executive presentation, business plan, research appendices and post-report updates form part of the engagement.
Fees & timing
A quotation based on your project
There are no fixed plans that suit every company. Fees reflect the research needed, sector, locations, model complexity, data quality, specialist work and revision requirements.
We agree milestones after assessing the information available. A lender’s or authority’s deadline should be identified at the beginning; it does not remove the need for adequate evidence.
Request a scoped proposal →Questions before you invest
Feasibility study FAQs
What is a feasibility study?+
A feasibility study examines whether a proposed business or project is workable under stated assumptions. It connects evidence about demand and operations with costs, financial projections, funding and risk. Its purpose is to help the owner decide whether to proceed, revise the concept or pause—not to guarantee that the venture will succeed.
I want to start a business in Dubai. Is my idea profitable?+
Begin with the customer, selling price, expected volume, setup budget and monthly operating costs. A feasibility review tests whether those assumptions are credible and whether the business can generate sufficient cash. A forecast profit alone is not enough if customers pay late or substantial spending is needed before opening.
What is the difference between a feasibility study and a business plan?+
A feasibility study tests whether a project is worth pursuing and what conditions could change that conclusion. A business plan explains how it will be launched, operated, marketed and funded. They may be prepared together, but the assumptions and unanswered feasibility questions should remain visible in the plan.
Can SAIF prepare financial feasibility only?+
A focused financial feasibility engagement can be scoped around an agreed business concept and available inputs. It can cover costs, projections, working capital, break-even and investment scenarios. The report should identify any market or technical assumptions that have not been independently investigated.
What does a feasibility study report include?+
Depending on the scope, the report includes the project brief, research findings, assumptions, projected financial statements, investment and funding needs, scenario analysis, key risks and a decision summary. Agree whether an editable financial model, presentation, primary research and follow-up revisions are included before work begins.
How much does a feasibility study cost in Dubai?+
The fee depends on the business profile, sector, locations, complexity of the model, quality of available information, research required and intended report users. A focused financial review is different from a multi-site study with field research and technical specialists. SAIF scopes the assignment before quoting; there are no standard fixed plans for every company.
How long does a feasibility study take?+
Timing depends on the agreed scope and access to reliable information. Supplier quotations, research, technical inputs and feedback from management can affect delivery. Agree milestones for information gathering, assumptions, draft review and the final report rather than relying on one turnaround promise for every project.
Will a feasibility study guarantee a bank loan or investor funding?+
No. A report can support a funding discussion, but each lender or investor makes its own decision. Confirm its required format, forecast period, assumptions and permitted report provider before commissioning the work. A positive forecast does not guarantee approval, financing availability or investment returns.
Is a feasibility study required for every UAE company or free zone?+
Do not assume one rule applies to every activity. Check the current requirements of the licensing authority, free zone, lender or intended recipient for your project. A feasibility report does not replace a trade licence, activity approval or other required professional assessment.
Can you assess a restaurant, clinic, factory or expansion project?+
The financial questions vary by sector. A restaurant needs realistic capacity and average-spend assumptions; a clinic needs patient and collection assumptions; a factory needs production and capital-cost inputs. Share your project brief so SAIF can confirm a suitable scope and whether market, regulatory or technical specialists are needed.
How many years should the financial projections cover?+
The period should suit the project life, investment cycle and recipient’s requirements. A three-to-five-year model can be a useful starting point for some businesses, while capital-intensive projects may need longer analysis. Monthly detail during setup and early trading can reveal cash shortages that annual totals conceal.
What are break-even, NPV and IRR used for?+
Break-even analysis estimates the sales or activity needed to cover the costs included in the calculation. Net present value, or NPV, assesses projected cash flows at a stated discount rate. Internal rate of return, or IRR, is another investment measure, but can be misleading for some cash-flow patterns or comparisons. Read these measures with the assumptions, funding needs and downside scenarios.
Does the study cover VAT, Corporate tax and free-zone tax assumptions?+
The model should identify relevant tax assumptions and their cash-flow implications. Detailed tax advice is a separate or expressly included workstream. Do not assume a free-zone address establishes a particular tax outcome, or treat accounting profit as the final taxable-profit calculation.
What if the study finds that the project is not viable?+
That is a useful finding before further money is committed. Consider changes to price, scale, location, operating costs, phasing or financing, then test the revised assumptions. If the evidence remains weak or the downside cannot be funded, postponing the project may be preferable to presenting an artificially positive forecast.
Make the next decision an informed one
Tell us what you are planning.
Share the business idea, location, estimated investment and purpose of the study. We will help define the evidence and financial analysis needed for your next decision.
